National Signing Day: Big Ten classes in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings
The new National Signing Day is here and, as always, has been full of twists and turns. Of the top 30 classes in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, nine reside in the Big Ten.
In order to create the most comprehensive and unbiased team recruiting ranking, the On3 Team Recruiting Rankings is solely based on the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. The On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings is the most advanced and accurate team ranking in the industry.
The top 10 Big Ten classes in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings can be found below.
1. Ohio State — 92.708
4 five-stars | 10 four-stars | 6 three-stars | 20 total commits
Top Commit: Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, No. 1 in On3 Industry Ranking
Ohio State is the only team in the Big Ten with a five-star commitment — and it has four of them. There was plenty of drama surrounding Ryan Day’s pledge list, but Jeremiah Smith still headlines as the top-ranked prospect and is flanked by New Haven (Ind.) five-star WR Mylan Graham, Buford (Ga.) five-star EDGE Eddrick Houston and Springfield (Ohio) five-star cornerback Aaron Scott Jr.
Chicago St. Ignatius five-star DL Justin Scott flipped to Miami, but the Buckeyes still boast an additional five top-150 prospects: Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes four-star quarterback Air Noland, Cleveland Glenville four-star CB Bryce West, San Antonio Veterans Memorial four-star running back James Peoples, Sunbury (Ohio) Big Walnut four-star linebacker Garrett Stover and New Palestine (Ind.) four-star interior offensive lineman Ian Moore.
2. Oregon — 92.546
0 five-stars | 18 four-stars | 7 three-stars | 25 total commits
Top Commit: Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe Catholic four-star EDGE Elijah Rushing, No. 36 in On3 Industry Ranking
Oregon was one of the big winners on NSD, as it flipped a pair of elite wide receivers. First, Saint Louis Christian Brothers Academy four-star Jeremiah McClellan flipped from Ohio State. Later in the day, Long Beach (Calif.) Millikan four-star Ryan Pellum did the same, signing with Oregon over USC.
The Ducks added their two highest-ranked signees in October, as four-star EDGE Elijah Rushing and Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star DL Aydin Breland pledged to Dan Lanning and Co. They’re two of five top-100 prospects in the mix in Eugene, alongside McClellan, Forney (Texas) four-star safety Aaron Flowers and Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra four-star CB Dakoda Fields.
Oregon’s class features a bevy of high-profile recruits on the defensive side of the ball. Behind the aforementioned signees, Baltimore St. Frances Academy four-star CB Ify Obidegwu, Yelm (Wash.) four-star LB Brayden Platt and Long Beach (Calif.) Poly four-star LB Dylan Williams bolster the pledge list.
3. Penn State — 91.141
0 five-stars | 13 four-stars | 12 three-stars | 25 total commits
Top Commit: Westford (Mass.) Cheshire Academy four-star tight end Luke Reynolds, No. 49 in On3 Industry Ranking
The Nittany Lions have crept up the rankings as multiple commits have risen over the course of the cycle. Four-star TE Luke Reynolds is now the No. 3 TE, Belle Vernon (Pa.) four-star ATH Quinton Martin is the No. 3 ATH and Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy four-star QB Ethan Grunkemeyer is now the No. 8 QB in the cycle.
An additional four top-200 prospects are committed to James Franklin and PSU: Erie (Pa.) McDowell four-star IOL Cooper Cousins, Brookline (Mass.) Dexter four-star ATH Liam Andrews, Jacksonville Mandarin four-star CB Jon Mitchell and Hartland (Wisc.) Arrowhead four-star OT Garrett Sexton.
4. Michigan — 91.104
0 five-stars | 15 four-stars | 12 three-stars | 27 total commits
Top Commit: Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller four-star running back Jordan Marshall, No. 80 in On3 Industry Ranking.
The Wolverines boast a top-20 recruiting class nationally, which includes four top-115 prospects: Four-star RB Jordan Marshall, Charlotte Providence Day four-star QB Jadyn Davis, Kansas City Rockhurst four-star OT Andrew Sprague and Rochester (Mich.) Adams four-star TE Brady Prieskorn.
Austin (Texas) Vandegrift four-star OT Blake Frazier, Bowie (Md.) Bishop McNamara four-star EDGE Lugard Edokpayi, Nappanee (Ind.) Northwood four-star CB Jo’Ziah Edmond and Bellevue (Wash.) four-star TE Hogan Hansen are top-250 pledges in the fold for Jim Harbaugh and UM. Edokpayi was the Wolverines’ big addition on NSD.
5. USC — 90.398
0 five-stars | 10 four-stars | 10 three-stars | 20 total commits
Top Commit: Los Angeles Sierra Canyon four-star wide receiver Xavier Jordan, No. 71 in On3 Industry Ranking
After finishing with a top-10 class last cycle, the Trojans are inside the top-20 this go-round under Lincoln Riley, depsite losing Long Beach (Calif.) Millikan four-star WR Ryan Pellum to Oregon. Four-star WR Xavier Jordan headlines as the No. 16 WR nationally. Clearwater (Fla.) Academy International four-star IOL Jason Zandamela is a top-100 recruit, while Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco four-star CB Marcelles Williams is just outside at No. 103 overall.
Atlanta Washington four-star EDGE Kameryn Fountain and Hiram (Ga.) four-star TE Walter Matthews bolster the class as top-200 overall prospects out of the Peach State. 30% of USC’s class is made up of Californians.
6. Nebraska — 89.598
1 five-stars | 6 four-stars | 19 three-stars | 25 total commits
Top Commit: Buford (Ga.) five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola, No. 16 in On3 Industry Ranking
The Cornhuskers stole the recruiting spotlight ahead of NSD, flipping five-star QB Dylan Raiola from Georgia. With the No. 3 QB in the cycle now headed to Lincoln, he highlights an impressive trio, joining Ainsworth (Neb.) four-star TE Carter Nelson and Logan (Iowa) Magnolia four-star IOL Grant Brix, both of whom are also top-100 recruits.
7. Wisconsin — 89.366
0 five-stars | 8 four-stars | 14 three-stars | 22 total commits
Top Commit: Baltimore Concordia Prep four-star defensive lineman Ernest Willor, No. 142 in On3 Industry Ranking
The Badgers sneakily own a top-25 recruiting class this cycle, headlined by new pledge four-star DL Ernest Willor, Royersford (Pa.) Pope John Paul II four-star OT Kevin Haywood and Olney (Md.) Good Counsel four-star RB Dilin Jones, all of whom rank as top-15 players at their respective positions.
Luke Fickell’s pledge list also includes five additional top-400 commits: Saint Paul (Minn.) Irondale Senior four-star IOL Emerson Mandell, Algonquin (Ill.) Harry D Jacobs four-star TE Grant Stec, Sioux Falls (S.D.) Jefferson four-star LB Thomas Heiberger, Chicago Mount Carmel four-star RB Darrion Dupree and Joliet (Ill.) Catholic four-star DL Dillan Johnson.
8. Iowa — 88.295
0 five-stars | 6 four-stars | 15 three-stars | 21 total commits
Top Commit: Arlington Heights (Ill.) John Hersey four-star offensive tackle Will Nolan, No. 196 in On3 Industry Ranking
The Hawkeyes class consists of blue-chip linemen, linebackers and tight ends…all of which are staples for Kirk Ferentz and Co. Four-star OT Will Nolan, Williamsburg (Iowa) four-star LB Derek Weisskopf, Overland Park (Kansas) Blue Valley Northwest four-star TE Gavin Hoffman, Winthrop (Iowa) East Buchanan four-star IOL Cody Fox and Winfield (Iowa) Mt. Union four-star LB Cam Buffington are the five highest-ranked commits for Iowa this cycle.
9. Washington — 88.259
0 five-stars | 6 four-stars | 10 three-stars | 16 total commits
Top Commit: Painesville (Ohio) Riverside four-star defensive lineman Dominic Kirks, No. 251 in On3 Industry Ranking
The Huskies crack the top 10 thanks to a quartet of top-300 prospects: Four-star DL Dominic Kirks, Los Angeles Birmingham four-star ATH Peyton Waters, Peoria (Ariz.) Centennial four-star EDGE Noah Carter and Upland Etiwanda four-star QB Demaricus Davis, the No. 17 signal-caller this cycle. Nine commits hail from California, including Davis and Hesperia (Calif.) Oak Hills four-star IOL Paki Finau.
10. Purdue — 87.917
0 five-stars | 2 four-stars | 23 three-stars | 25 total commits
Top Commit: Cincinnati La Salle four-star cornerback Koy Beasley, No. 125 in On3 Industry Ranking
The Boilermakers have taken major strides this cycle and are inside the top 40 nationally this cycle. Four-star CB Koy Beasley and Naperville (Ill.) North four-star safety Luke Williams are the lone blue-chippers pledged to Ryan Walters and Co. Midland (Texas) Lee three-star QB Marcos Davila and Pickerington (Ohio) Central three-star TE Tayvion Galloway check in as top-500 overall recruits. Davila is the No. 26 QB in the cycle.
11. Minnesota
12. Rutgers
13. Illinois
14. Maryland
15. Michigan State
16. UCLA
17. Indiana
18. Northwestern